Note: "Chapters will eventually become much longer than before, and there will be a few minor differences from those before as well."
Synopsis: "This story will follow the life of a male Alectrosaurus named Zion, as he struggles to cope with the harsh hardships of the Mongolian Desert."
Somewhere between the Iren Dabasu, Bayan Shireh and Nemegt Formations/Mongolia
80 - 70 million years ago/Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous
Somewhere in the middle of an oasis in the vast and desolate Mongolian Desert, in a nest made of Cretaceous desert sand and plants, is a clutch of eggs. It is currently the dry season, and there are already signs of life. Inside one of the eggs, a tiny little creature is struggling to break out of his egg chamber, using the tip of his snout to push through the outer shell. He finally works his way out of the egg and stumbles into the nest. As for what species he is, he has two legs with three toes on each foot, a long tail, two tiny arms with two-fingered hands, and a pair of powerful jaws filled with sharp teeth. Not to mention sharp vision, excellent hearing, and an acute sense of smell. This is a baby Alectrosaurus olseni, a much smaller, 5-6 meter long relative of the mighty North American Tyrannosaurus rex. He will be named Zion, and he's the one who will lead us throughout his desert home in 85 million year old Mongolia.
Right now, he watches as his brothers and sisters hatch from out of their eggs, as they call out together. Then, he stumbles out of the nest to explore his brave new world. Suddenly, a huge pair of adult Alectrosaurus, who have heard the sounds of the hatching, approach the nest. They are all at the both of their mercy. Fortunately though, these are their parents. The slightly-shorter one to the right is their mother, and the slightly-taller one to the left is their father. Zion is awestruck by the size of his parents, who welcome him and his siblings to the world by nuzzling them, along with a warming shine of sunlight. For now, he can rely on his parents' protection, but within weeks, he will have to learn to stand on his own two feet. In about five short years, he could become a relatively large and agile predator like his parents, but the odds on him surviving that long, right now, are low.
2 hours later….
Zion and his siblings have been staying very close to the nest. But if anything, it is starting to become much less of a safe place to be. Nearby, a pair of predatory Achillobator giganticus watch the brood, waiting for their chance. The mother and father Alectrosaurus are about two times their size, so they will not venture too close while they are present. However, the smell of all these new hatchlings will soon attract other larger predators. So eventually, the parents decide that it is time to lead their unruly brood away.
3 days later….
The mother Alectrosaurus has gone out in search of another meal for her family. She and her mate have found a safe new home for their young, and so, her mate has stayed behind to look after Zion and his brothers and sisters. She's been searching through the forest for about two whole minutes now, then, she notices something that could be promising. She spots an Erliansaurus bellamanus, a type of therizinosaurid, browsing in the trees. This dinosaur spends most of the day picking at leaves from trees. Just like many of his relatives, he must consume about 400 kilograms of leaves a day in order to maintain his relatively large size. He may be a herbivore, but he is by no means an easy target. The mother Alectrosaurus roars to get his attention and so, he stops eating and turns to face her. Though he spends most of his day peacefully munching on leaves like all therizinosaurs, he can turn into a ruthless warrior if his territory is invaded. His 882 pound weight and his pair of three enormously strong claws give him the power to take down even an Alectrosaurus. They each try to size each other up, but eventually, they decide that this would not be worth a fight. and so, the mother Alectrosaurus walks off to find something else to hunt.
She arrives at the watering hole, and comes upon a small herd of Gobihadros mongoliensis, a type of medium-sized hadrosaur about 25 feet long. And with them, much smaller Amtocephale gobiensis, a type of primitive pachycephalosaurid. They have come here to quest their thirst. Both species of herbivores are much easier prey items for her, but the smaller pachycephalosaurids would be the easiest ones to make a kill out of. Now, all she has to do is set an ambush. As she slowly and silently makes her way around, she can sense that the herd is increasingly nervous. They know that this watering hole is a good place for an ambush, and will scatter at the first sign of danger. If she is to get a meal for her family, the element of surprise will be very crucial, indeed. She is now almost within striking distance. Just then, as the herd begins to sense that something is not right, she rushes out of the trees nearby, and causes panic to immediately spread, but not before she manages to get a hold of one of the and kill it. At last, success. She picks up her catch by the shoulders and carries it back to her family's new nest.
Back at which, her mate and offspring wait patiently for her. The moment they had heard the kill, Zion and his siblings rush to the entrance of their new family lair and start calling to her, begging for food. The mother finally returns and place the kill in the center of their new lair. Zion and his siblings gorge voraciously on the corpse, while their parents watch them do so as they nuzzle one another.
5 months later….
5 months have passed, and Zion and his siblings have grown to 3.5 meters in length. They are each now in the prime of their lives, and are ready to begin their first hunt. Around this part of the area, there are plenty of opportunities. The family locks on to, and begins to stalk, a nearby flock of Archaeornithomimus asiaticus, who are looking for plants, insects, lizards and small mammals for food. They don't sense the danger, and, instead, focus their attention on feeding on the fresh vegetation while looking for insects, lizards and small mammals to eat as well. But no one seems willing to make the first move, even the parents. Or, at least, almost no one. In his parents' and siblings' stead, being as both the eldest and most confident of which, Zion dares to take on the challenge of the hunt today. He begins to move slowly towards them trying to be as quiet as he possibly can, with the exception of the sounds of his footsteps and hissing of his breath. His parents and siblings watch him carefully. These creatures are smaller than they are, but they're not easy to take down, given how fast and fleet-footed they are. Zion will likely fail, unless he finds their weak point and quickly overpowers one.
He gets as close as he possibly can, still unnoticed, then, once he feels that he is within striking distance, he breaks cover, roaring fiercely, and springs into action! Just as the Archaeornithomimus begin to scatter, Zion, being a fast and fleet-footed predator, chooses his target, and puts on an incredible burst of speed before quickly grabbing it by its weak point, having already found it. He shakes and crushes it to death with tremendous force, killing it in an instant, before throwing it to the ground. For Zion, this is his first successful hunt. He lets out a mighty victorious roar.
He picks up his catch by the base of its neck and carries it back over to his family, who are very impressed, as this prize is not only for him. His mother and father proudly nuzzles their son to offer their congratulations, before his siblings all do the same to him. Tomorrow, he will learn how to be a successful pack hunter, hunting with his mother, father and siblings. For now, they begin to feed upon the Archaeornithomimus, which will be one of the last they'll have together, since it will still be another ten more months before Zion and his siblings will be able to live on their own. Some will live alone, while others, who have a strong bond with each other, will live with each other for survival.
2 years later…. (Zion's Second Year)
Zion now hunts alone, with only one of his brothers for companionship. The rest of his siblings have parted ways with him, and they have all parted ways with their parents and are thriving. Measuring about 3 and a half meters long, they are both on the road to adulthood. Right now at the moment, they are currently on the hunt. There's a wide variety of choices for them to make in this desert oasis that makes up part of their territory and hunting grounds. A small group of Amtocephale look ideal, but there is a big problem. A small mixed herd of heavily-armored Talarurus plicatospineus and Tsagantegia longicranialis is grazing on low-lying desert plants nearby. The Amtocephale feed off the smashed ones they leave behind. This means they're sticking very close to them. Too close for a pair of small predators to get in between and attack. A mother Achillobator attending her nest nearby may prove more promising. But the two small Alectrosaurus brothers are about to find out they're no match for an over-protective mother. The Achillobator snarls, hisses and screeches at them as she attempts to ward them off. Knowing better than to get too close, the pair walks off to find something else that could prove more promising. Nearby, a flock of Garudimimus brevipes offers Zion and his brother one more chance. They seize the moment and charge straight at them, but they scatter the minute they notice them, causing them to fail, and roar in frustration. They have both forgotten that they are ambush predators. They have also ended up too near the edge of the oasis. Not far away, a mixed herd of two types of long-necked sauropods are approaching the oasis. Sonidosaurus saihangaobiensis, a small titanosaur, about 9 meters (30 ft) long. And they are joined by the much larger Erketu ellisoni. And with them, much smaller Graciliceratops mongoliensis. They've been drawn to the oasis, looking for new plant growth. Not exactly suitable prey for Zion and his brother.
Meanwhile, Zion and his brother are still at it. They've come across a flock of Archaeornithomimus, who are local residents to the oasis and currently feeding on some desert plants and looking for small creatures like insects, lizards and mammals to eat. After one unsuccessful attack on the flock of their relatives, the brothers need to make a kill soon. However, unfortunately for them, there is nowhere to hide. So, a surprise attack is impossible. Instead, they resort to creating panic. The brothers then charge and the flock of Archaeornithomimus flees. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them with Zion and his brother in hot pursuit behind them. They need to pick out a single target... and stick with it. But as the chase goes on, the group starts to pull away from the Alectrosaurus brothers, and they eventually come to a halt. The Archaeornithomimus' bursts of speed just give them the edge. Zion and his brother watch their prey run off before they bellow and growl in frustration. Each failed hunt uses up more precious energy... bringing them both ever closer to starvation. But, it's not long before there's another opportunity.
The Archaeornithomimus flock arrives at an area with some dunes nearby and soon begin feeding and foraging again. Nearby, Zion and his brother watch them from atop of a dune and realize that they can use this area to their advantage. They know that it's a perfect spot for an ambush and soon begin to come up with a plan for one. Zion quietly heads down towards the target, while his brother quietly makes his way around to the ambush spot. Nearby, Zion, using the dunes as cover, stalks the Archaeornithomimus silently from close by. Desert plants and a sandy outcrop could give him and his brother a second chance. The Archaeornithomimus flock continues foraging as Zion slowly stalks closer and peeks over some plants while stalking closer to his prey. Now, he's harder to spot. Every inch forward brings him and his brother ever closer to success. He inches closer holding his right foot up as one Archaeornithomimus has its back turned on him while feeding. And soon another Archaeornithomimus hears muffled footsteps approaching and looks up as Zion is now within striking distance and charges! The Archaeornithomimus flock suddenly notices him and one screeches in horror as they all took off as Zion pursuits after them. Now, this time for Zion, fueled by enraging levels of adrenaline, there is no stopping this time. And then, a miraculous stroke of luck as one flock member banks left near as he nearly snatches it. And so, he selects his target. And sticks with it. The lone Archaeornithomimus ran for its life with Zion right behind it. And he knew that it was the moment of truth as he slowly gains on his target as the chase leads him to the duneside where his brother is waiting... in ambush. Zion's brother bursts out of hiding and snatches the Archaeornithomimus by the neck and wrestles it to the ground and soon made the final blow.
At last. Success. Zion's brother picks up their catch by the base of its neck, and they bring it all the way back to their lair, where their nest is. Soon they then begin to feed upon the carcass. It should keep them both fed for about up to 10 days or more.
3 weeks later...
Zion is seen close by. And by the looks of it, he is not hunting. He and his brother have recently eaten, and right now, he is seen patrolling the borderlines of their territory, while his brother is back at their lair, guarding it. Zion's territory is mostly made of desert and occasional desert oasis', but is also partly made of floodplains with braided fluvial environments and semi-arid environments with trees. As a matter of fact, he is currently patrolling the borderlines of his territory in that very area in particular. And that is where he hears some strange squawking sounds that peak his interest. He eventually reaches his destination and finds the noise-maker. Meet Gigantoraptor erlianensis. A creature on a mission. A huge, and in fact, the "largest", member of the oviraptorid family group. Gigantoraptor was discovered in 2007 in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. The sheer size of the bones revealed it was unlike anything found before. It was 8 meters long, stood 5 meters tall, and weighed around 1.5 tons. From its bones, we know it was 35 times bigger than its closest Oviraptorid relatives. And yet, the 2007-discovered specimen of this giant wasn't even fully grown. It's been suggested that this particular, only-known specimen was most likely a young adult that died at the age of 11 and it reached a young adulthood around 7 years of life. It was like finding "a mouse the size of a cow". This huge male is here for a reason. He is looking for a mate. His mating call has attracted the attention of a female Gigantoraptor, who arrives on the scene. She approaches the male as he begins to show off his brightly-colored feathers. She seems interested, but a little persuasion might be necessary. She watches him, carefully. All the while, Zion also watches from nearby. He recalls many previous encounters with this particular species, as there are some who are residential to his territory.
The male Gigantoraptor then starts to perform his courtship mating dance. He starts by swaying his head from side to side before spinning around and dancing more energetically. He starts jumping, as it is part of his courtship dance, which, underground, is disturbing a family of the small, mouse-like mammal, Zalambdalestes lechei; a mother with pups. As the male keeps dancing, the female starts to gets really interested, but the mammals are still running for their lives underground. The male jumps so hard that the ground underneath him collapses and he gets his foot stuck in the hole and the female walks away as the Zalambdalestes climb on the male's foot to get out of the hole. Eventually, the male gets himself free and then races off after the female. The mother Zalambdalestes realizes that one of her babies is missing so she goes underground to get the baby back, which she does successfully. The female Gigantoraptor watches the family walk away. The Gigantoraptor male, however, will have to keep on dancing if he is to get a family. Zion, having watched the whole thing from nearby, also leaves the area and continues on his daily territorial patrol.
1 month later...
Somewhere in the desert part of Zion's territory, one group of dinosaurs thrives here despite the fact that they live in the shadow of a deadly tyrannosaur. Zion is wandering nearby, scaring off a trio of smaller dinosaurs who are part of that group in particular. These are Oviraptorids, omnivores that eat animals and plants, and so don't compete directly for food with the biggest of killers. And the benefits are clear, because some of these creatures become huge, like the eight meter Gigantoraptor. The small oviraptorids come upon and approach a female of which, sitting on her nest, until she gets up and flaps her arm feathers to frighten them off. She then returns to sitting on her nest to help keep her eggs warm. But this group have another trick to help them survive, the way they nest. In Mongolia in 1994, a nest of very large dinosaur eggs was discovered. An array of more than 20 eggs arranged in pairs around the edge of a shallow pit. They were the biggest dinosaur eggs ever found. When an embryo was found preserved within an egg, it proved that the nest, eggs and embryo were almost certainly those of Gigantoraptor. Just then, a male Gigantoraptor, who is the female's mate, and the eggs' father, approaches her, and they nuzzle. But nesting makes an animal vulnerable. Just then, Zion appears and approaches the pair and their nest. But the male Gigantoraptor confronts him, flapping his arm feathers and squawking and bellowing at him, which intrigues the female, but Zion stands his ground, hissing, growling and snarling back at him, hoping for an opportunity. But when the female gets up and joins the battle, knowing that two Gigantoraptors would be too much for him to handle, he retreats, with the Gigantoraptors chasing after him a little bit in an attempt to drive him off. But against a pair of Gigantoraptors, a five meter tyrannosaur like Zion has little chance of success.
After that, they both return to their nest, and the female sits back on it to continue her job of keeping the eggs warm. As Mongolia has given up its secrets, we have learnt more and more about these extraordinary creatures. In 2005, one particular fossil was found to contain two eggs within its body cavity, ready to be laid. Even more amazing were a number of other finds that revealed the nesting behavior of these dinosaurs. Three dinosaurs were discovered, all sitting on top of nests of eggs - the dinosaurs sitting in the centre of the nest with their long arms spread out to protect the pairs of eggs arranged around them. These dinosaurs were brooding.
The female Gigantoraptor then gets up and has the male sit on the nest, before she nuzzles him and then leaves, presumably to find food for herself and her family, leaving her mate in charge of taking care of the nest until she gets back. Looking after their eggs increases the chance of them hatching. And having large eggs means the hatchling is more developed, making it less vulnerable to predators. But it takes longer to hatch - up to 80 days for Gigantoraptor. A time when both egg and the brooding parent are permanently at risk. But for however long she's gone, he's going to stay put. He won't even a bit leave the nest, until his mate returns with food.
1 hour later...
Just then, a huge rainstorm hits the area, but the father Gigantoraptor braves it as best he can to keep his eggs well-protected.
(In the aftermath...)
After the rains have passed, many of the nest-raiders that pose problems for the Gigantoraptors are at large again. Smaller Oviraptorids are no more than a nuisance. Larger predators are a different story. The male Gigantoraptor soon spots Zion nearby and crouches down to avoid detection.
Unwilling to leave the nest, the adult protects its offspring, first, by hiding...
Only little does he know, that Zion has already spotted him, and to make matters worse, he brought his twin brother along for backup. And together, they approach the father Gigantoraptor and his nest as he reveals himself, for he now knows that he has already been discovered.
...and if that fails, it goes on the offensive.
The male Gigantoraptor gets up off of the nest and charges at the Alectrosaurus brothers, flapping his arm feathers and bellowing and squawking as they roar, growl and snarl back at him as the fight begins. Meanwhile, an Oviraptorid, seeing the chance of an unguarded nest, raids the nest in hopes of stealing any eggs. Suddenly, Zion's brother attacks the Gigantoraptor and bites down onto his tail, but is then, suddenly, kicked in the neck by the Gigantoraptor. Knowing that they are outnumbered, after his brother gets back up, Zion and his brother quickly retreat and are driven off. Then, upon seeing the thieving oviraptorid, the Gigantoraptor quickly returns to the nest and scares it off without losing any eggs. He then secures the nest and sits back on it, continuing his job of brooding it. Protecting the nest means Gigantoraptor's young are more likely to survive. It now seems clear that the instinct to nurture and care for a nest of eggs had its origins with the dinosaurs. It's a behavior that was so successful, it's still widespread today with birds. But the fossils show something else. These animals all died sitting on their nests. And there is a reason for that.
2 hours later...
Just then, a huge sandstorm hits the area, and the father Gigantoraptor braves it, too, as best he can to keep his eggs well-protected. But he's about to find out, that this may be one thing that he might not be able to survive. It seems that the threats don't always come from predators. Sometimes the real danger comes from the most unlikely places.
(In the aftermath...)
After the sandstorm passes, it is revealed that he has been almost completely buried alive by a collapsed sand dune, along with his nest, which he was still guarding for that matter, and a lot of all the other dinosaurs in this area as well. These dinosaurs were all buried alive.
2 years later…. (Zion's Fourth Year)
At age 4, Zion and his twin brother are each now an adolescent teenager. It's the dry season, and it is now at its very harshest. For predators like them, scavenging is the only way to survive during this harsh time of year. Only a few of the great herds of plant-eaters have moved on by now, to seek food and water elsewhere. For the rest that remain here, they will be the best options for Zion, his brother and all the other meat-eaters that live here. Just then, Zion and his brother pick up a scent, and follow it. They follow their noses downwind, about 5 miles southwest, for about 44 minutes. They at last reach their destination and find out the smell; a dead sauropod carcass; most likely that of a Sonidosaurus. Or whatever is left of it. A potential feast for many. Right now, it is currently being fed upon by a pack of Asian troodontids. And so, Zion and his brother waste no time in scaring them off it and claiming their share of it. This huge carcass would definitely be enough to keep both Alectrosaurus brothers fed for about a couple of weeks, but they will only be here for so long, about as long as they decide. Once they've been here for long enough, they will eventually move on, to find food elsewhere.
3 days later...
A few days later, and Zion and his brother are seen sleeping with full stomachs. After spending three days of feeding on the dead sauropod carcass, they've decided that they will eventually move on once they're fully well-rested. Meanwhile, the troodontids from before are back for a shot at the leftovers. And they're not the only ones here. A little lizard, only a few inches long, eventually comes along in search of a meal. Now, Zion and his brother may keep everyone else away, but for the lizard, they might bring an opportunity. If there is one thing that attracts flies more than a carcass, it's a sleeping Alectrosaurus that has been feeding on that carcass. Seeing the number of flies attracted to the carcass and the smelly faces of the two Alectrosaurus brothers that've recently fed on the carcass, the lizard sees the good feeding opportunity, and musters up some courage to go after some flies, running on and around one of the two Alectrosaurus brothers, in this case, Zion, trying to catch some of the flies that gathered around his face, taking caution not to awaken the large, mid-sized theropod. Time to be bold. Just then, one of the troodontids rushes in and snaps up another lizard in the area. A second troodontid, eyeing another lizard in the area, rushes at the little creature, but the lizard manages to run away in time. Carefully, the troodontids sneak around the two sleeping Alectrosaurus brothers, seeking out more lizards to eat. Finding another one, one of them goes after it, but the lizard rushes underneath Zion, causing the troodontid to bump into him, thus, waking him up. Zion then reaches out in an attempt to snap at the troodontid, which rushes off with its pack as he gets up, causing his twin brother to also wake up. They eventually decide to leave the carcass, which has not that much left on it for them anymore, and so, the Alectrosaurus brothers move on. Having consumed a lot of meat for three whole days, Zion and his brother will definitely be able to survive the rest of the dry season. Once they were gone, the troodontids, who have just moved off in the distance, came out of hiding to finally claim their share of what little remains are left of the dead sauropod carcass. As it scampers away from the area, running across the desert once more to look for food, for the little lizard, the opportunity... has gone.
4 years later…. (Zion's Eighth Year)
4 years have passed, and the wet season is once again in full swing. The desert oases that make up most of the west side of Zion's territory are now, once again, returned to their full former glory. Large herds of herbivores gather to feed on the new desert plant growth of these desert oases that create excellent feeding grounds for them. But where there are large numbers of plant eaters…. there are great hunters, or meat eaters. Zion and his twin brother, who are now 8 years old, watch from close by, observing the herds and probing for any opportunities. Like most predators, their kind usually ambush their prey. But with so many watching eyes, they know that this is not the right time to attack. They'll wait for nightfall, and the cover of darkness, which will give them an advantage over their prey.
Several hours later….
As darkness falls, some of the herds that had been grazing and browsing use the forest of desert plants for shelter. Now, the odds switch in favor of the predators, like Zion and his brother, who are resting nearby. Zion wakes up and slowly and silently gets to his feet. Like all predatory theropod dinosaurs, tyrannosaurs have large eyes, much larger than those of their prey, which gives them superb low-light vision, but only somewhat better than that of their prey. Zion gently nudges his brother, waking him up. His brother yawns and gets to his feet. Soon, they're on the prowl, once again. And like all their cousins and relatives, they're able to move through the oasis forest of desert plants in near-silence, thanks to cushioned pads on their feet.
They come upon a group of Bactrosaurus johnsoni, a type of hadrosauroid, grazing nearby. They lack armor, but they're as big and as long as Alectrosaurus, and just as fast. To catch one in these types of conditions needs cunning. Each of the sibling hunters carefully moves into position. Then, one of them, Zion, deliberately makes a noise. The Bactrosaurus are officially alarmed. They now know that hunters are close, but they don't know exactly where they are out there in the permanent darkness. Time to spring the trap.
Zion's brother rushes out! He chases the Bactrosaurs straight to where he wants them! The herd panics, and bolts to where Zion is waiting…. in ambush. Zion bursts out of hiding and gets a hold of one by the neck. Then, he and his brother work together to knock over their prey and pin it down so they can deliver the final killing blow. The rest of the herd continues running for their lives without looking back.
A perfectly executed plan. Now, another meal has been provided for the Alectrosaurus brothers. Zion grabs it in his jaws by the base of its neck and he and his brother drag their kill back to their lair, where they can eat it in safety and peace.
4 years later…. (Zion's Twelfth Year)
A very special time of year has come for all of the region's dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures; it's the mating season, and this is when the deserts and their oases, the floodplains and the semi-arid environments become very lively. And so, at the age of 12 years old, Zion has now grown into a young adult and has reached sexual maturity, and is now old enough to mate and reproduce. And so, for him and his brother, this season signals the chance for them to create and raise a family of their own. And they're not the only ones; Dinosaurs of all kinds from all across their territory are looking for a mate. For example, when it's time to mate, male Graciliceratops try to attract females by showing off their small head frills. But other dinosaurs have different ways of attracting a mate.
But as you and I know, finding a mate isn't always as easy as it looks.
For the sauropods, like Sonidosaurus and Erketu, males start to display by rocking back on their tails and standing on their hind legs to impress potential mates, but soon enough, when too many males start doing it, occasionally, fights break out. With creatures this size, the forces at work during these confrontations are colossal. Enough to shatter ribs and shake the ground. The males engage in shouting matches, followed by necking, like modern Giraffes, pushing and shoving. That's usually bloodless.
And for the hadrosaurs, like Gobihadros and Bactrosaurus, Since males outnumber females, they must go through a fierce competition to win the affections of a female. They bellow and grunt at each other and even peck one another with their duck-like bills. The more vicious ones might even lash their competitors with their tails.
And then there are the pachycephalosaurs, like Amtocephale. Males use their thick bony skulls like battering rams to head-butt each other in order to win the impressions of the females. Those males of all different species who will be victorious in the end will win the right to mate.
But it's not always like that. Sometimes, there are better ways of getting a mate without having to fight for one. Along the banks of a river, dozens of male Archeaornithomimus are preparing for the most important moment of their year. They choose the safety of this area in particular to scrape out shallow craters of sand to make nests out of. When the females arrive, they will choose to mate with the males who have made the best ones. Just then, one male with a stick in his beak, who is most likely a newcomer, arrives and makes his way through the colony to try and get back to his own nest. But he is hissed at by the other males, warding him off and away from theirs. Late arrivals like him find that nesting space is already in short supply. The only space left is on the area's margin by the riverbank, where he had just started to make his nest. And finding a place to nest is only just the start. When eggs are eventually laid, they will need to be kept warm in a bed of vegetation. The newcomer soon places the stick in his nest, as he was on a pretty poor start with the bedding. Then, he looks around at the other nests around his as the other males were busy tending to them. Finding enough nesting material is not easy… which is why some Archeaornithomimus resort to thievery. One advantage of arriving late is that your neighbors have already done the hard work. An unguarded nest is too much of a temptation. In colonies like this, thievery can be so common that some nesting material, at one time or another, will have been part of almost every nest in the area. After two successful attempts to steal some nesting material from another male's nest for his own, the newcomer begins to go for another round. But robbery is risky. Soon, the owner of the nest spots the thieving newcomer and aggressively screeches at him, holding his feathered arms out. The newcomer backs off and minorily stumbles as he does so. Caught in the act. This temporarily frustrates him for the moment. It can take several years to perfect nest-building skills. But success doesn't only rely on experience. The young newcomer then looks around at the other males with their nests. In a crowded colony, there's always another potential victim. Then, one male heads off to collect more nesting materials, and the young newcomer quickly rushes over to his nest and grabs a stick to bring back to his own nest. For Archeaornithomimus, this nesting area will provide sanctuary for both the eggs and the young when they hatch.
Nearby, a single mother dinosaur, who has recently mated some time ago, is seen sitting on her nest. This is Saurornithoides mongoliensis. It's a member of the troodontid family and we have discovered actual fossils of these dinosaurs sitting on a nest. Just then, she gets up off the nest to get some plants to keep her eggs warm. It takes days to lay a full clutch of eggs, and until that's complete, this animal won't begin its brooding behavior and start sitting on the nest. She then heads off to find food.
With the Saurornithoides off foraging, this unguarded nest provides an invitation for predators. Like this Oviraptorid, a bizarre-looking omnivorous theropod dinosaur, that would definitely take advantage of a free lunch. It quickly runs over to the nest and starts stealing eggs. With two bony projections in its upper jaw, this oviraptorid has the tools to break into an egg and get at the precious contents inside. It means that a nesting animal like the mother Saurornithoides, who spots the thieving oviraptorid while walking back to the nest, can never turn its attention away for long. At the sight of her nest being raided, the Saurornithoides angrily charges into view. The oviraptorid soon spots her before she can attack, and hastily picks up an egg in its mouth before running back to the safety of the forest of desert plants. The mother surveys the nest and finds that there are two lost eggs. But two lost eggs are the least of her problems.
Suddenly, a huge, eight meter long, male Gigantoraptor appears out of nowhere and attacks the mother before killing her. Here, some nest raiders are bigger than others. He carries the Saurornithoides to a clearing where he eats her. As previously mentioned before, Gigantoraptor was discovered in 2007 in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. The sheer size of the bones revealed it was unlike anything found before... eight meters long and weighing around 1.5 tons. From its bones, we know it was 35 times bigger than its closest oviraptorid relatives. And yet, the 2007 specimen of this giant wasn't even fully grown, and was likely thought to be a young adult that died at the age of 11 and lived a young adulthood around about 7 years of life. It was like, again, "finding a mouse the size of a cow".
Afterwards, the Gigantoraptor then leaves the desert plant forest and returns to his breeding site, along its edge, out in the open of the deserts, where he encounters and joins others of his kind, both males and females alike. The males are trying their best to woo and impress the females by performing their ritual courtship mating dances. We don't know for sure if such a huge dinosaur like Gigantoraptor would have or need feathers. The Gigantoraptor soon comes upon a female who is looking for a mate, and decides to try his luck to impress her. In dinosaurs, feathers are usually found as a fine body covering and appear to be mainly for keeping warm. But feathers were found, and preserved on a fossil of one of Gigantoraptor's close relatives. And on the forearms and tail are the unmistakable traces of longer symmetrical feathers, similar to a modern bird's. It seems certain that Gigantoraptor, too, was feathered, making this the largest feathered animal ever discovered. These aren't for flight, Gigantoraptor couldn't fly. Nor are they for insulation. These are instead used to intimidate rivals or attract mates. And the female Gigantoraptor seems to be really into his good looks and smooth moves. But then, another male, a rival, tries to court the female as well, which gets their attention, but our male will not stand for this and challenges the rival to a fight. Eventually, the rival is defeated and driven off, and, after a little head synchrony, in the end, the female accepts the male as her mate. And the nuzzle.
Meanwhile, Zion is also prepared for the mating season. He and his brother have just brought down a young adolescent Udanoceratops tschizhovi as a gift for his new mate. And now, he proceeds to use a mating call to attract a wandering female to his territory. At last, his calls have been heard, and a female Alectrosaurus finally arrives. She's about the same age and size as Zion and his brother and just as powerful. Now, Zion just has to impress her by showing off his best possible moves to win her over. She seems interested, but, of course, a little more persuasion would be necessary. There's no guarantee that he'll succeed, but Zion is determined. But he knows that he still needs to be careful. Because he also knows that if she misjudges the approach, it could all be over in seconds. He slowly bobs his head up and down and produces a deep romping sound, before bowing down and raising his tail up and swaying from side to side. Then, he raises his head up all the way and also makes a soothing vibrating with his throat. His mesmerizing movement and deep romping calls seem to be eliciting the right response, thus impressing her. And, just like with the Gigantoraptors, she mirrors his courtship dance. At last, she gently brushes her neck on his, thus, accepting him as a mate. So, it turns out that the courtship was successful. And now, Zion has a mate. His brother approaches him to offer his congratulations, and he introduces his new mate to him as well. She greets him with a gentle nuzzle. This is her way of showing that she approves him, along with Zion, as a trustworthy family. Zion reveals to her his gift for her, and then gives her some space to consider it. After about a few minutes of inspection, she finally accepts it and starts to feed on the Udanoceratops carcass. Until she finishes satisfying her hunger, Zion and his brother keep their distance for now.
3 hours later….
Later that evening, Zion and his new wife mate. And this is the beginning of his life-long contribution to fatherhood. They will keep doing this for about the next few weeks, until she is fully well-fertilized. Eventually, in the not too distant future, she will soon lay a large clutch of 13 eggs that, in about 2 months time after that, will hatch into a whole new generation of Alectrosaurus.
2 years later…. (Zion's Fourteenth Year)
Two months ago, each species of dinosaur laid a foundation for the future. And so, as a result, lots of the eggs that have been laid have hatched. The Sonidosaurus nesting ground is teeming with new life; up to thousands of hatchlings. And so is the Erketu nesting ground. Without their mothers' protection, they will have to go it alone, staying completely safe and well-hidden in the underbrush of the forest of desert plants, until they're both big and old enough to join their mothers' herd. The Archeaornithomimus nesting grounds are also full of new life. As are the nesting grounds of Gobihadros and Bactrosaurus. The young from last year have grown, and test out their newfound strength. The same can all be said for the nests of Gigantoraptor and Saurornithoides too. But in one nest, its clutch of eggs were not so lucky, except for one. The nest's owner is a Achillobator, she has been committed to making sure that her offspring survive, though, unfortunately, all of her eggs, except one, have either been eaten through or stolen to eat by egg thieves. But, after two months of care and patience, she notices a little movement in the only one that has survived. Finally, it hatches. After everything she had been through, the Achillobator has managed to bring a valuable new life into the world.
In Zion's territory, there are also signs of new life. By age 14, Zion is now fully grown and is now 5 meters long and weighs 2,000 pounds. His mate and twin brother are the same as him. Against the odds, Zion and his wife have managed to produce four offspring. They're all about seven weeks old, and can already move quite well. Zion's brother is now the proud uncle of his children, and it will be his job to guard and protect them whenever Zion and his mate are off hunting. Right now, their young are currently feeding a juvenile Gobihadros carcass. A prize from a recent hunt. Alectrosaurus was the undisputed top predator of Mongolia, and dominated its deserts and semi-arid environments for 85 million years. But by about 80, it eventually became extinct. So, until that happens, for now at least, Zion and his family will protect and raise their young, and also teach them how to hunt, until they're old enough to hunt with them and also live independently. And they, too, will also endure the trials of life... in the Mongolian desert... of the Prehistoric Planet.
(The End)
Next on Dinosaur Life, the story will be about a female Mapusaurus named Maple, as she grows from a hatchling into a fearsome predator.
Author's Note:
"To discover the science behind the stories, go now to the Dinosaur Life show page."
Information from: Planet Dinosaur (2011)
Inspiration from: Dinosaur Media and Others